Featured Image: (Pacer Graphic / Sophia Phillips)

Pacer Story by Miracle Brown, Ella Hasty and Ja’Tyria Greer

The University of Tennessee at Martin campus community was invited to take part in the selection process for its next budget leader through a series of open forums featuring finalists for the Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Budget position.

The sessions were designed to give students, faculty and staff an opportunity to hear directly from candidates and learn more about their experience, leadership style and vision for the role. Each forum included a presentation from the candidate followed by a question-and-answer session, allowing attendees to engage with each finalist and provide feedback.

The position plays a critical role in overseeing the university’s financial planning and budgeting processes, making it a key leadership role in shaping the institution’s future. Candidates were asked to address how they would communicate financial information to a wide range of campus stakeholders and how they would help advance and implement the university’s strategic plan.

Gary Rothstein

Gary Rothstein, a native of Jackson, Tennessee, brings extensive experience in budgeting, finance and organizational leadership. He currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at City Lumber Company, Inc. in Jackson.

Rothstein discussed what his approach would be on the campus-wide budget to help students, faculty and staff if selected for the position.

“What you can expect from me is, number one, transparency. I will come to you and ask what things are important to you to pinpoint how to bring students the things that they need,” said Rothstein. “As a budget officer, it’s not my budget, it’s yours, and it requires all of us working together.” 

Destin Tucker, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, asked Rothstein to provide an example of his experience overseeing fund management projects. In response, Rothstein shared how he identified a lack of access to state funding in rural counties due to the absence of an established funding formula. Recognizing this gap, he took initiative to advocate for change rather than remain a passive observer. He underscored the importance of relationships, mentioning the value of connections, and emphasized his intention to leverage collaboration among faculty and staff to accomplish institutional goals.

When asked to reflect on the meaning of higher education and how it would shape his leadership, Rothstein responded by sharing advice from his father that continues to guide him today.

“We’re never going to fix anything in this world without education,” said Rothstein.

Having grown up around educators and previously serving in the field himself, he described higher education as deeply meaningful, noting that he has witnessed firsthand its transformative impact.

He concluded his forum by describing himself as an adaptive leader who prioritizes empowering others. He emphasized the importance of fostering an environment where individuals feel confident sharing their perspectives.

“I work to bring people together by being direct in my communication,” said Rothstein. “I care deeply about my impact on people, and I believe it’s important to unify individuals around shared goals. I have seen the impact of UT Martin, and I want students to see me as competent and open to new ideas.”

Deana Warner

Candidate Deana Warner, who currently works as a fractional Chief Financial Officer and consultant, emphasized the importance of connecting financial strategy to the university’s broader goals during her open forum.

Warner described the Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Budget role as a bridge between high-level planning and day-to-day operations, responsible for turning strategic priorities into actionable, funded initiatives. She said the role ensures that limited resources are directed toward areas with the greatest impact, including enrollment growth, academic quality and regional service.

She also stressed the importance of integrating the strategic plan into both annual and long-term budgeting processes, creating what she called a “living framework” that guides decision-making across campus. Warner highlighted the value of data driven planning, including financial modeling and scenario analysis, to help leaders understand risks and make informed choices.

In addition, Warner emphasized accountability, noting that departments should align their budget requests with institutional goals and demonstrate measurable outcomes. Ultimately, Warner said the role is about ensuring that the university’s strategic vision is supported by sustainable financial decisions and measurable results.

Lynda Batiste

Lynda Batiste has more than 20 years of leadership experience within universities. From working as a former accounting professor to being responsible for budgets up to $224 million, Batiste has had many forms of experience in the financial realm. She currently serves as the executive director of finance, budget and compliance at Virginia State University. 

Batiste’s main strategy is collaboration among her team, faculty and staff across campus. She discussed how important it is for her to get to know her team and their needs so that they can most effectively accomplish their goals. 

“I’m fortunate that I was a faculty member before I became an administrator because that allows me to articulate the things I learned to my team,” Batiste said. 

When discussing her approach to communicating financial information effectively to a broad range of campus stakeholders, Batiste responded with three things she plans to have, which are clarity, transparency and being driven by data. 

“I do not expect everybody to understand finance, but I expect to find the clarity for you to understand the situation,” Batiste said. 

She believes it is important to build relationships across campus so that they can feel comfortable asking her questions and inquiring for advice. Building relationships outside of her team and becoming familiar with the programs across campus will also be essential for how she interprets data. 

Batiste explained that to best support the strategic plan, it is essential to find how the plan and the budget tie together by focusing on the future, such as new buildings on campus or increasing enrollment.

As the search process continues, the open forums provided valuable opportunities for campus stakeholders to engage directly with each candidate and assess their visions for the future of UT Martin’s financial leadership. The feedback gathered from each session will ultimately play a crucial role in making the final decision for the next Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Budget at UT Martin.